


How we survived this year

by Maria1980



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: F/M, Love, New Year's Eve, happiness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:00:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28482801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maria1980/pseuds/Maria1980
Summary: It's New Year's Eve of 1926-Charles and Elsie are spending a quiet evening together in their cottage, trying to sum up the passing year 1926, which was really difficult... It's a reflection of how we all have managed to survive 2020 and that was quite a challenge to all of us...Hope you will like it.
Relationships: Charles Carson/Elsie Hughes
Comments: 2





	How we survived this year

Charles was sitting at a wide window sill, looking at the stars and contemplating the quiet winter night. Peace and quiet was all he needed this night. He and Elsie both declined the invitation to spent New Year's Eve with their downstairs friends and luckily, there was no big party in the house that night, so Elsie was able to go back to the cottage at a decent hour. She was in the kitchen, preparing tea for both of them. He smiled, hearing her humming “Auld Lang Syne”. She was a true Scottish woman, even though she was living in England for so long, her Scottish heritage was still a part of her and he loved that about her, among other things of course....When he saw her coming back to the living room with a teapot and a plate full of Christmas cookies, his face brightened for the first time this night, as generally his mood was rather gloomy, but the sight of his beloved wife, invariably made him feel happier.

“Charlie, why are you sitting here alone in the dark, I will switch the light on”

“Please don't Elsie...It will ruin the effect of this beautiful view outside the window...Just come here, sit by me and take a look at this amazing winter night...”

“I barely recognize my husband...You are almost never in such romantic mood”

“I wouldn't exactly call it romantic, rather a dreary one....This year was really awful...”

“It was not that bad Charlie...”

“Not that bad...Let's just say I have a different opinion about it..”

“Let's have some tea and biscuits-it will make you feel better instantly”

“If only that was so easy”

Elsie poured tea to their teacups and they drank it quietly, looking at the lovely winter landscape. Frost-covered trees and glowing snow, made it look like a winter wonderland and they both enjoyed seeing this sight immensely...Elsie observed Charles attentively. He was really depressed and she sighed, thinking that there was enough reasons in the passing year for him to feel that way, but she didn't wish to start a new year in such mood...  
When she finished her tea, she put her teacup back on the table and she neared Charles...

“Will there be a room for one more on our window sill?”

“I'm not sure if we will fit in here together”

“I'm sure we will..If we sit close enough...”...Elsie gave her husband a warm smile and she nestled into him..He seeemed reluctant at first, but when he felt her so close, he wrapped his arms around her, in the constant habit of protecting her, although in his current state of mind, he was the one who needed protection the most.

“How are you feeling my love?...Tell me...Truly...What's bothering you so much?”..Elsie touched his face gently, running her hand with soothing motions on his cheek...He kissed her hand in response...

“Oh Elsie...This year....It was one, awful year....Ever since the beginning...It all started on the last New Year's Eve, when I decided to retire and Thomas replaced me”

“You mean Mr Barrow”

“Mr Inefficient I would say...I thought I knew him well and that making him a butler would be a good decision but...”

“Well, I think that he is doing all right..Of course nobody can take care of the house so good as Charles Carson...No doubt about it...”-Elsie lifted herself up a little and placed a sweet kiss into Charles's lips...He responded eagerly, as always...No matter how depressed or whining mood he had, Elsie's sweet kisses could turned the worst situation into something special...

“Thank you for saying that love...But Thomas...I spent so much time trying to teach him how to be the butler of the Abbey, I wanted him to understand that this is a hard work and an enormous responsibility and he still doesn't seem to get it...He works efficiently, but he doesn't put his heart into it...It's not his whole life...”

“Charles...Of course it isn't...He is not you...Running the Abbey was a whole life for you, but times have changed...The butlers and the housekeepers are now no longer consider some robots, who are suppose to live only to serve...They have their own life and serving in the Abbey is just their job, not their life...”

“I wish it would be different...”

“I know you would...But it is how it is and you should accept it...You gave your life to the Abbey and you missed a lot of things in your life because of that..”

“What did I miss???”

“How about a Scottish housekeeper, who was very much in love with you for many years and you never seemed to notice it?”

“Elsie...Sweetheart...”-Charles placed few kisses in her hair...”But I got to noticed it in the end, didn't I?”

“That's true...But look how much time did it take...Thomas wants to be the butler, but he also wants to have his own, private life..You can't condemn him for it...”

“I would rather not know anything about his private life...If you know what I mean...”

“I know...So let him manage the estete in his own way and it will all work out...”

“Elsie..How are you doing it?”

“Doing what?”

“You always know how to make me feel better, how to cheer me up...Is this somekind of special Scottish skill?”

“I don't know if it's Scottish or not, but it's better that way Charles...Don't you like to see a good side of every situation?”

“No sweetie. I leave this to you, because you are so good in doing this, that I would not dare to compete with you...Don't you have any regrets and complains about the passing year?”

“Oh Charlie..Of course I do....You think that it was an easy year for me? The first year when you were no longer a butler? When I had to get used to the fact, that when I entered your pantry, it was not you who sat by the desk, but Thomas? Every time I went in there my heart clenched that you were no longer there..”

“Elsie...Sugar...I never realized that...”

“Well..You've never asked...And as for the rest of the staff...Dealing with them everyday isn't a picnic...From one side my dear friend Beryl, with all her doubts whether she should develop her relationship with Mr Mason, Daisy, constantly wondering if Andy was good enough for her and preaching her communist beliefs...Or Anna, trying to figure out how to divide her attention between her new born baby and unrealistic demands of your precious Lady Mary..”

“Elsie...Lady Mary is hiring Anna and she has a right to demand...”

“Charlie! That's enough...We settled that we won't go back to that topic anymore...You would have forgiven that uppity minx even if she told you to run twenty miles in the blizzard, so no more of that..”

“I agree...We shouldn't discuss it no more...”

“As you see Charlie...Everyday life at the Abbey is not easy. The best proof of that, is that we wanted to spent New Year's Eve alone, rather than be with them all tonight.... And you in the cottage, trying to be useful..That's another story..”

“But I was only trying to help...”

“I know you were and I love you for that my precious...”-Elsie kissed his forehead with love...”But when I remind myself, how you wanted to make a shepherd's pie using Mrs Patmore's recipe...”-Elsie bursted with laughter..

“You ate it and you said that it was good!”

“What was I suppose to do? If I told you that it was awful, knowing you, you would have never made anything in the kitchen again and I was so glad to give you the duty that I'm not especially fond of..”

“Oh, so that was about it Els! I thought that you were really enjoying my cooking and you wanted to get rid of the duty you didn't like!”

“Guilty! Charlie, stop, where do you think you are going?”

“I feel betrayed by my wife, I think I need a walk”-Charles pretended, that he wants to stand up, but he was effectively disabled by Elsie, who nestled into him and stopped him on his place, kissing him with fervor...When they parted for breath, she whispered:

“You know what Charlie?...There is one duty in our marriage, that I never want to get rid of...In fact, I would be more than happy to start a New Year by performing that duty...What do you say for that love..?”

“I believe that I have no objections...”

They smiled, looking each other in the eyes with love and desire, that was still there...Elsie took his hand and led him to their bedroom, where they spent the next hour making love tenderly...Their quiet whispers and the movements of their tangled bodies, were the only audible sounds...Soon after that, lying in each other's arms, they heard a clock beating, indicating that it was midnight...

“Happy New Year Elsie...Thank you for making not only my whole year, but my whole life better than it ever was...I love you..”

“Happy New Year Charlie...If we made it through last year, we can make it through anything what the future may bring us...I love you...”

They've kissed delicately and Elsie started to sing “Auld Lang Syne” with her beautiful voice, with a Scottish accent, that she never got rid of...Charles listened to the song, thinking that by marrying that amazing Scottish woman, he made the best choice in his life...

**Author's Note:**

> That's all folks...There it is..My first 2021 story...Secretly hoping that it's first out of many...I thought that it would be nice to spent New Year's Eve with Chelsie and get some insights of what year 1926 might have looked for them...We didn't get to see that in the series or the movie, but I'm guessing it must have been tough for both of them-for Charles, because he started his retirement and for Elsie, because she was without him in the Abbey. Hope you liked this little fluff and one more time-have a very happy New Year! See you soon!


End file.
